AKA  Easter Bread

Recipe courtesy of Ann Koren

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Ingredients:

• 3 packets of dry yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 6 eggs (Make sure they are at least room temp, put in pan of warm water if they are cold)
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 quart whole milk (scalded)
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 12 cups flour
• 1 cup of golden raisins (Add some water to raisins to soften for 15 minutes then squeeze out excess water. I like mine with a lot. I use a whole box.)

Directions:

Put the yeast & sugar in a cup with the warm water to raise 5-10 minutes. Next scald the milk so it can cool to lukewarm. After you take the milk off the stove, add the butter to help let it cool and melt. Grease large mixing bowl. Measure 6 cups of flour and make a well, then add the milk, yeast and 1 cup sugar and let rise 7 minutes. Then break the eggs while flour is rising, put in a small bowl and wisk each egg to mix it, you do not want chunks of egg in the dough. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture a little at a time and mix. Add raisins, salt, and rest of flour one cup at a time with a spoon until you have to mix it with your hands, and the dough becomes sticky. It will not stick to the bowl any more. Let dough raise 1 1/2 – 2 hours, then punch dough down and start making your bread balls. Make braids after you make only 1-2 breads and put your crosses on and secure with skinny toothpicks. Mix 1 egg yolk with a little water and brush on paska before baking and again 5 minutes before they are done baking to get all the missed areas. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, if you see to tops are getting brown and bottom is raw, place aluminum foil over top and bake another 20 minutes. Check every 5-7 minutes for doneness until bread is a golden brown. When you tap the bottom of the bread it should sound hollow. Enjoy your delicious bread. My favorite is to eat it as toast!

Christ is Risen! Indeed he has Risen!
Christos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskrese!